2. Elliot has started saying really, uh, interesting prayers. Last night she wanted to make sure that we remembered to not feed Rousseau pizza.

3. Two super nerdy things that I got excited about yesterday: Learning how to fill multiple cells with the same text at once in Excel, and the use of commas in relation to subordinate clauses. (I looked the latter up on OWL at Purdue because I was just curious. Who get's curious about grammar? I AM a nerd.)

4. Ok, so I realize that I'm kind of lazy. Therefore my new goal is going to be something along the lines of selecting only ONE lazy activity per day. Work on the Astoria blanket, read a book, or watch a TV show, but no more of all three in one day. I mean, come on.

5. This Saturday is the Zumba workshop. I keep having these horrible dreams where I see myself being dragged out by the shirt and tossed into the parking lot for being any number of the following: uncoordinated, lame, uncreative, not skinny enough to teach Zumba, ugly shoes...

6. I really should stop eating chocolate for breakfast.

7. Is there some kind of Murphy's law that states "The more tired you are, the less sleep you will be entitled to"?

8. So I used to always think it was SO funny when people would say things about kids growing too fast or whatever.Had these people just skipped all the amazing stages of toddler-hood? You know, the smashing peanut butter sandwiches into the carpet, the hair pulling, the FUSSING... That being said? Can someone please tell Rousseau that she needs to STOP getting big so fast? Where did my tiny little baby go?

Ok, the last two are rather intense. Just a heads up.

9. LOST. I LOVED IT. Here's why: The LOST creators/writers are smart people, and created the show with the expectation that their audience is as well. For the most part I believe this is true, but if I have to hear (or read on Facebook) one more hater saying how they just wasted the last 6 years on a show I'm going to punch that person in their stupid head. First of all, LOST was always a show thats intent was to make the viewer think and to promote discussion and debate. Are there really people out there that thought the show was going to spoon feed the viewers an ending that answered EVERY question? Have they not figured out by now that the whole point of LOST was to get people to use their brains a little bit? Granted, I felt like I had a step up on the casual viewer, because I took the time to look into the Easter Eggs that were left along the way. The ending to me was really no surprise after having been exposed to texts such as An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Slaughterhouse Five, and Stephen King's The Dark Tower. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for ANY opportunity to use critical thinking skills and use then on a well crafted piece of media, whether it be film, television, graphic novel, art, or a book. But then again, I also think about papers I could write on childhood literacy and its relationship to adult income while blow-drying my hair, and thought it was a good idea to immerse myself into the second nerdy-est college degree out there. If you were looking for a mindless junk food TV show to aid in accelerating brain damage, go watch some procedural, or worse, reality shows.

Wow. that was WAY more negative than I had originally intended.

My real feelings on the ending? I love that they made it all about the characters, their connections to each other, and the choices they made. The plot elements in the show (all the mysteries) I really felt were mainly there as facilitators for the characters to grow. Especially with Jack. I would love to talk about it more, so if you're in the mood for some delightful discussion and debate, call me.

Last of all

10. I have been to a lot of concerts. Trust me.

A LOT.

This may have been the best one.

And that is saying a lot.

Any praise I could give this event would just come out sounding trite and lacking. I don't have a camera other than the one on my phone, which usually really sucks, but at least the pictures I got from the show have a nice impressionistic feel to them, which is probably the best way to describe it anyway. There was this amazingly positive energy that was there and an overwhelming sense of love and connection. And for the record? Tom DeLonge is kind of a nerd. Awesome.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Just kidding Katie. So she wanted to play the "let's make a soundtrack for our lives" game. Sounds like fun right? More like stressful and aggravating (but in a rather fun way I guess.)

First of all, I start WAY overthinking things. For example, are we making this soundtrack on the assumption that my life is a movie? That would be a rather boring movie. I have mixed feeling on this point. Next, the song selection. It would be much too easy to just go and pick my ten most favorite songs and use that as my soundtrack. Oh no, I need to select music which would be appropriate for the various "scenes" that will be appearing. I'm making this way too complicated I know. Then, of course, there is the problem of using music because I have seen it in a movie, and loved that particular song. I don't want to be, like, a poseur or anything. (heh heh) For example, Sabotage by Beastie Boys (been used Star Trek.) or that really pretty one by Aimee Mann in Magnolia - you know the one I'm talking about. anyway. ALSO. is this movie a musical? I'm assuming no. If it was, I'd of course have a completely different soundtrack. Well, in fact I DO have one. I wrote a play in college which was a Moulin Rouge-type musical, anyway so I guess I'll skip those songs. And finally I come up with a list that has 35 songs on it. I am now supposed to cut that 35 down to ten. TEN!?!?!? Come ON Katie! In the cutting process I had to slice Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, Radiohead, Something Corporate (cry), Brand New, Incubus, The Format, fun., The Eels...

And last of all, if it's a slightly depressing, but romantic and beautiful sort of movie in the vein of Garden State or 500 days of Summer or something slightly indie like that. Here is the ending song.

If you actually just listened to all those songs? The next time I see you, I will buy you a cupcake. One of those gourmet ones even. And i'll give you a high-five. Because those are the best.

Monday, May 17, 2010

I have the pleasure of being acquainted with some seriously awesome guys, who are also world travelers. Today's ten things includes a few.

1. This guy. He's leaving this week for a most righteous and triumphant mission in Tokyo, Japan. My girls absolutely adore their Uncle Joel, and are really going to miss him. Blair and I will also miss him. Joel is an all around amazing kid, and I know he'll do great things. Good luck Uncle Joel!

2. This guy. World traveler extraordinaire. He is an amazing photographer, super daddy, not to mention he has exquisite taste in women (he's married to my very dearest friend in the world)Go look at his site, if you are getting married in a strange and exotic land, or just want to get some severely bad-ass family photos taken. Kevin is the guy. (And Katie too of course).

Blog

Photography Website

Reading List

3. So... I accidentally bought some waterproof mascara last week, and I'm having a totally unnecessary crisis about it. I actually don't wear any makeup at all except for mascara, and ridiculous amounts of moisturizer (this Oregon native skin doesn't love living in the desert so much). But seriously, who wears this crap and actually likes it? It gets all smudgy under my eyes, I can't wash it off without going out and buying eye makeup remover, and for that price I may as well just go buy new mascara. grrr. lame.

4. On Friday, Blair and I thought we had been robbed yet again. We have had 4 packages go missing in the last 2 weeks, and we thought someone was stealing mail packages off our doorstep. I got so upset about it that I barfed in the wal*mart. nice. A day later we find out that our *special* mail carrier had put all of our packages in a lock box and *forgotten* to leave us a key.

Yeah.

You stay classy USPS. Luckily the Sees chocolate my mommy sent me for mothers day was not yet melted. Ahhh, silver lining.

5. Today for breakfast I ate broccoli, and a Twix.

6. I had a dream last night that I was going to try out for a roller derby team. I was practicing skating at the church building I attended as a kid. Oh, roller derby...

7. I've realized that I will probably never be a truly effective Zumba teacher, because I don't listen to the radio. How am I supposed to know what all the cool kids want to dance to?

8. Elliot is under the impression that a headache, is called a "head-egg". I discovered this when she told me that headaches are yellow and white.

9. There is this game that the Einfeldts like to play. It's kind of a weird cross between the telephone game and pictionary. Needless to say, it is amazing and hilarious. We all played it last night while we had Joel around. It's basically a wellspring of classic inside jokes that we can use to annoy people for ages to come. And for the record, the grim reaper welcomes you to New York. :)

10. I'm the teensiest bit behind in my summer reading list. If I can just finish A Passage to India by the end of tomorrow though, i'll be back on track. Bam.

Friday, May 14, 2010

How have I come this far in life having never listen to Muse? Tell me this.

Anyway. It is rather apparent that I need a real camera.But maybe it's for the best. Most of the pictures I take of these girls are a blur, which fits since that's pretty much how they look in real life. Elliot in the last week has finally got a hang of potty training, and is even dry through the night. Whew! I was seriously starting to get concerned that she would be the only kid in preschool still in a pull-up. Thank goodness she finally got it all figured out. Since i finished her blanket, she's been telling me that when she grows up and is a mom that she is going to make me a blanket too. Sweet. I like her.

Last night in sorting laundry, I started a box of newborn clothes that Rou no longer fits into. Not fair. Can't she just stay tiny for a wee bit longer? She scoots all over the place, hunting for paper to shove in her mouth. She still won't eat ANYTHING but what i can provide for her, but she will eat paper. Nice.

Also, the more I hang out with Stori, the more I realize that she is more like me than I previously realized. She is obsessed with books. Not just interested. OBSESSED. I hear the phrase "weed it, mommy, weed it! Oh Pweese mommy, weed it!" more than almost anything else. (except maybe "can I? can I?" it's adorable) We probably read at least 15 books a day, minimum. It doesn't matter what i'm doing, she will find me, shove a book in my lap, and insist that I read it to her. The funny part is that halfway through the book she usually takes over, pausing only when she encounters a word she doesn't know ("mommy, what does this says?"). She can read more words than Elliot, easy. I also was an early reader. She dances whenever she hears the smallest snippet of music, and is not only fiercely competitive, she has a bit of a mean streak (also a lot like me).In summation: I think my kids are pretty awesome.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

In response to my husband having recently finished Blood Meridian, I have decided to modify my list a wee bit. Perhaps someday I'll still get around to reading it, but... not right now. From what I understand, the writing is amazing, the dialog is amazing, but the subject matter is a little more intense than what this silly, sensitive mommy is willing to undertake at the moment. In its place I've decided to read a couple Sherlock Holmes novels, thanks to a rather kind and thoughtful gift from my excellent father.

I haven't done ten things in, like, a hundred years.

1. The amount of money I spend each week in diapers has officially dropped by 30%. About freaking time.

2. Remember how my husband is wonderful and awesome? Look what he got me for Mother's day:And look at the result of this gift:

Bang. One down.

Thanks Blair

3. A conversation that took place today as the girls and I stopped by a field to look at some sheep:Me - I hope those baby sheep remember to say happy mother's day to their mama sheep.Elliot - MOM! Sheep don't say WORDS!Astoria - How does a sheep say happy mother's day? BAAAAAAA BAAAAAAAAAA!!

7. My obsession with Mo Willems is getting out of hand. Yesterday the girls and I wrote our very own pigeon book with illustrations and everything. It even has hot dogs in it. (What?!? WHAT?!?!?)8. Blair is on his 5th day of no soda. In honor of this momentous feat, I celebrated with a rather large Dr. Pepper. You stay classy Maryposa.

9. I am teaching my first (kind of) Zumba class on Tuesday. I am totally unprepared, moderately mortified, and possibly questioning my decision to do this. However, I do have a dance choreographed to a Vampire Weekend song, so you know, i've got that going for me.

10. I'm pretty sure Blair has found his own "Personal Legend" (read The Alchemist) Wish I knew what mine was.

Last of all, in honor of Mother's Day, here is my most favorite poem on the subject. Please enjoy.

Now Collecting Readers

here i am

hey there!

Things you should know:

i'm Maryposa

Blair has a hot face and is probably the greatest basketball coach this world has ever known.

i have kids named after wonderful things, like dead singers, rock bands, albums, jungle dwellers, poets, poems, sisters, fireflies (or stars), the Goonies, and French philosophers. these kids are also very incredibly amazing.

this blog has some lists, pictures, dictation of my inner monologue, and other randomness.